Mixcloud signs licensing agreement with Warner Music

The deal opens the door to the streaming company launching a paid subscription service.

Mixcloud has signed a licensing agreement with Warner Music, and says it is negotiating similar deals with the other two major labels, Universal and Sony.

The move will allow the UK-based streaming company, which to date has relied on statutory radio licenses for its music usage, to start implementing subscription services.

"Mixcloud has historically been licensed via collection societies such as the SoundExchange," Mixcloud cofounder and commerical director Nikhil Shah told Resident Advisor. "This new direct deal will enable to us to offer enhanced functionality, and we will soon be launching a new subscription offering built around individual creator channels. This will be a first-of-its-kind offering in the market."

Mixcloud, a rival to SoundCloud, currently has around 17 million monthly users, with the likes of Gilles Peterson, Carl Cox, Red Light Radio and NTS Radio all using the platform for radio shows, podcast and DJ sets.